The Black fire (BOOK 1)

Flying

Narrator: Hiccup.

The whole structure shaked for a moment before the propeller began to spin. I holded the joystick strongly, I was very nervous. I hate my dad when he gets grumpy like that with me. But I had more important things to take care off. While hitting the brakes, I pushed the throttle slowly. The engine growled and accelerated, but the brakes stopped me from going anywhere.

I looked back, staring at Mark and then to my dad, who nodded, giving me permission to take off. Mark gave me a thumbs up, wishing me luck. And to think I was doing the same to him minutes ago...  I made one last correction.

And released the brake.

The craft moved foward sharply, forcing me to lean back on the pilot's seat. I gained speed quickly, but the street was running short of space. The tail went up, leaving me with only two wheels touching the ground. I looked at the speed: 90km/h. My hands where shaking and covered in sweat. 110km/h. Just a little more. Suddenly, the rest of the plane took off the ground for a split second before touching the pavement again. I was getting close, both to taking off the ground and from crashing into the house at the end of the street. The speedometer marked 120km/h. It was the moment of truth, I pulled the joystick gently, and closed my eyes.

Here goes nothing.

Narrator: Astrid.

''No way.''

Those were the only words that I managed to say when the machine took of the ground. It passed centimeters above the house at the end of the street, but actually made it. The most important part, however, was that Hiccup was piloting the Black Fire! The gang was standing next to me, even more amazed than I. This was one huge step for our village! The gods had blessed us with this great machine! Now we could defend our village from the sky and fight the dragons like they have been attacking us for decades. That sure was worth celebrating!

And Hiccup was the special guest that time.

Narrator: Hiccup.

I nearly touched the roof of the house with the landing gear, but I finally was on the air. I picked up speed until I reached around 300km/h and then headed up into the blue, clear sky.  I was afraid at first, merely touching the controls, afraid of doing anything wrong. But as the time passed by, I felt more confortable and started enjoying the trip. I suddenly felt a wave of feelings going up my spine: freedom, fear, peace... I continued with some loops and other maneuvers. Once done that, I took a moment to admire the landscape below me. 

No wonder why Mark likes flying so much.

The altimeter showed I was at 2000m of altitude, I didn't know exactly how hight that was, but it was high, that's for sure. The scene was beautiful at least. The sun was iluminating everything around Berk and much further. I could see the dragon's territory heading north, and the unknown seas, far south. I saw for a second, some black points in the sky, around the borders of the unknown seas, but when I looked again, I saw nothing. ''Probably my imagination.'' I said quietly to myself.

I spent the next thirty minutes testing the controls and learning acrobatics. Then I thought it was time to land again. I pushed the joystick down, diving straight to the ground. I matter of moments I was a few meters above sea level. When got closer to the village, I pulled up. I was doing some low altitude passes above the streets, I was so amused with the whole thing of piloting that I got distracted for a moment. I was looking down whenI should have been looking foward. I saw at the last second one of the catapults located in towers at the port. I pulled up as hard as I could. When the plane started turning, my body felt very heavy; my movements slowed down and my sight turned blackish, the blood was slowly getting into my brain. But I finally dodge it. I thought I was safe, so I leveled the plane again.

But then I noticed something.

I wasn't getting power, the engine was running and the propeller spinning, but it felt like it wasn't alive anymore. Then I realized some transparent liquid dripping from the engine compartment. I was gasoline. The fuel tube loosened and no fuel was getting into the engine. I took a quick gaze to the speedometer: 150km/h and it was slowly lowering.

I panicked.

What was I going to do? The plane got no propulsion and I wasn't close enough to the main street to land! I needed to do something... but what?

Narrator: Mark.

It was clear that he was enjoying it. At least before he almost crashed to the catapult; that he slowed down to a cruising speed at low altitude and flyed on a straight line. Almost too slow to be normal. He passed right above us so painfully slow that it began to worry me. Was something wrong? Just after he got passed me, a transparent liquid fell on the street in a line, following the plane's direction. And so, I realized with a gasp that Hiccup was in trouble.

I started running, following Hiccup's direction. Of course, the plane was faster than me and he rapidly left me behind. ''I need to get his attention.'' I thought. And so, I started jumping and waving my arms at him, wishing he turns around and sees me. And god must have been listening, because he turned around, facing my direction. 

I knew I had no other choice, but it was still risky. If he listens to me, he might save himself and the plane, but he might as well destroy the engine in the process.

He was getting close again, so started jumping and making hand signs to Hiccup.

Narrator: Hiccup.

I was trying to get Mark's attention by flying above him, but the plane was slower each time I passed over them. The speed was 120km/h, the limit. I looked down, and I watched Mark doing some strange signs with his hands: He was making the move of pulling a lever up, about the level of his hips.

I tryed finding any lever near my hips, but I only got to find the red lever he told me:''Never to pull.''

I looked at him, shouting: ''The red lever?'' He didn't hear me. ''Pull the red lever?''  I asked once and again. But he didn't hear me, I was getting away from him. I looked at the lever again, then to the speedometer: 110km/h.  I started to feel the plane going down by the force of gravity. The nose pointed down, heading to the houses. That lever, whatever it does, it the only choice I got.

I pulled it.